The Thing in the Truck

"The Thing in the Truck" by Darius John Granger is a science fiction tale written in the mid-20th century. The story takes place predominantly in the context of a trucking journey, embodying themes of mystery and the unknown as the protagonist uncovers a bizarre and possibly supernatural event involving a truckload of potatoes that turns into something sinister. The book explores notions of perception, reality, and otherworldly influences in a captivating narrative. The plot follows Harry Loftus and his driving partner, Joe, as they unknowingly transport a mysterious load after picking up a seemingly harmless shipment of potatoes. As the journey unfolds, strange occurrences escalate, revealing that the potatoes—and indeed everything around them—are connected to an alien presence that has taken over. The narrative quickly shifts from humor and camaraderie to a tense and surreal confrontation with the bizarre, as Harry finds himself facing danger from Joe and a seductive woman, both of whom are not quite themselves. As the story reaches its climax, Harry grapples with a nightmarish scenario that culminates in a shocking transformation involving the truck, leading to a haunting conclusion questioning his own fate amid this otherworldly chaos. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Stephen Marlowe was an American author of science fiction, mystery novels, and fictional autobiographies of Goya, Christopher Columbus, Miguel de Cervantes, and Edgar Allan Poe. He is best known for his detective character Chester Drum, whom he created for the 1955 novel The Second Longest Night. Lesser also wrote using the pseudonyms Adam Chase, Andrew Frazer, C.H. Thames, Jason Ridgway, Stephen Wilder, and Ellery Queen.